Chapter 154: Secretary of State Ross

"Your memory is not at fault," Clark gently shook his head. "There's a technique called image synthesis now. It's too easy to add some poor people into the original footage."

His certainty wasn't because he believed Captain America's spirit could overcome Hydra's brainwashing, but because he had absolute confidence in his golden finger.

After Captain America's return, Clark made him listen to the "Mantra of Purification" single on loop for half a month.

With the current level of his "Mantra of Purification," even if Hydra found a psychic to use the Mind Stone on Captain America, half a month was enough to cleanse all negative effects thoroughly.

Narrowing his eyes, Clark sneered, "I wondered why Hydra had been so quiet for such a long time. It turns out they were waiting for me to announce the cast list, to completely hammer the fact that Captain America works at Nirvana Film Industry."

The video about Captain America was short, but the subsequent reports and comments were long, professional, and clearly guided by a hidden hand behind the scenes.

His fingers began tapping on the table unconsciously, pondering the opponent's next move. Suddenly, a voice broke the silence in the living room, "Sir, Secretary of State Thaddeus E. Ross is here to visit. Shall I let him in?"

Thaddeus E. Ross? Hearing this name, Clark immediately knew this was the Hulk's former father-in-law, always up to no good, stirring trouble – General Ross.

Unexpectedly, after the Hulk and Abomination incident, although he couldn't stay in the military, he switched roles to become the Secretary of State.

Such political maneuvering should not be underestimated.

The appearance of Secretary of State Ross saved Clark a lot of guessing; the opponent's next move was already made, and there was no need for random guesses anymore. Just listen to what the other party had to say.

"Let him in," Clark sat on the sofa, legs crossed, without any intention of going down to greet him.

If you come with ill intentions, why should I be courteous to you?

Moments later, a tall and fit elder with a proud posture walked into the living room.

It was Ross, who had officially transitioned from a general to the Secretary of State.

Seeing Clark didn't rise to greet him, Secretary of State Ross frowned slightly, but he didn't dwell on it and got straight to the point.

"There's a video circulating online that's quite unfavorable to Captain America, and it's stirring up public debate."

"That video is fake!" Captain America immediately stood up to object.

But Secretary of State Ross calmly approached them, saying in an even tone, "Yet, the national outcry is significant. As a result, Congress has convened a special session and drafted a regulation protocol for superheroes. You might want to take a look first."

The Sokovia Accords?

A look of realization dawned in Clark's eyes; only now did he fully understand the government's role in this entire incident.

They were after control! The protocol Ross presented was, of course, not called the "Sokovia Accords" but the "Superhero Conduct Protocol."

Though the name had changed, the content remained essentially the same.

It demanded that superheroes, represented by Captain America, Tony, and Clark, could only act with approval from the US Congress. Otherwise, their actions would be deemed illegal.

Furthermore, any damage caused by superheroes in action would be covered by government departments.

After briefly scanning the protocol's content, Clark sneered, "That video first appeared online yesterday at 19:20, and it's been less than twenty-four hours since then."

"And in this short period, you've not only anticipated the development of the situation but also convened an emergency meeting and drafted this agreement?"

"How has the US government's efficiency become so high all of a sudden?"

Clark's words were laden with sarcasm, but General Ross was unfazed, simply stating, "Tony Stark has already signed this agreement, agreeing to government oversight. I wonder if Mr. Clark would also be willing to sign your name here?"

Faced with Clark's bluntness, General Ross's response was equally straightforward.

No further explanation was provided, just a simple and brutal choice: to sign or not to sign.

Feeling the deep malice from the other side, Captain America sat back down, his face dark and silent.

Being not fully acquainted with modern society yet, he knew he wasn't in a position to comment at this time.

But Clark responded with a bright smile, taking the initiative to say to Secretary of State Ross, "Since the government defines us as superheroes, that means we have a different identity from ordinary citizens. However, when drafting this protocol, there was no representation from superheroes."

Saying this, he lightly tapped on the "Superhero Conduct Protocol," pushing it back to General Ross, "Therefore, regardless of what's written here, I refuse to sign. My reasoning is the same as the pioneers who refused to enforce the king's orders before the founding of the US."

Receiving +666 impression points from Thaddeus E. Ross!

A superhero regulation protocol, and you manage to relate it to the founding history of the US? Ross felt this guy was unparalleled.

Still not giving up, Secretary of State Ross asked, "If you speak of representation, could Tony Stark be considered a representative of superheroes?"

"Of course not."

Clark's response was firm: "He doesn't represent me."

Secretary of State Ross sneered, "Then, Mr. Clark, who do you think can represent this special group of superheroes? Captain America, or yourself?"

Clark returned with a strange look, "You're the Secretary of State, shouldn't you know that choosing a representative requires a vote?"

"I will issue a statement in tomorrow's news and newspapers, calling for all superheroes in the country to gather and vote."

"At that time, the representative we choose will naturally accept the invitation to participate in drafting a new protocol."

Pausing briefly, he added, "This is the reasonable and legal process, isn't it? I believe that's roughly what the constitution says?"

Receiving +666 impression points from Thaddeus E. Ross!

Talking about superheroes and you bring up the constitution? There's no point in continuing this conversation today.

Although he didn't achieve his desired result, Clark's response was within an acceptable range for the government. While not an immediate compromise, the fact that there was dialogue suggested a chance, better than outright hostility.

Stuffing the protocol back into his briefcase, Ross said, "I will convey your words to Congress as they are, and with that, I take my leave."

As Ross was about to leave, Clark casually said, "Don't forget to take those outside along with you."

"No." For the first time, a smug expression appeared on Ross's face: "Since Captain America's situation hasn't been fully clarified, Congress has decided to monitor Mr. Clark's current assets to prevent unnecessary losses to the public."

After speaking, he didn't give Clark a chance to retort, proudly walking out of the villa.

Only after Secretary of State Ross left did Captain America finally speak up, "Are we being monitored?"

Clark nodded gently.

It was a clear tactic by the government to pressure Clark.

In theory, the protocol's creation should have been some sort of deal between the government and Tony. However, it seemed their goals weren't entirely aligned, at least the government didn't seem very keen on Clark handing over Bucky.

Thus, Ross didn't mention this at all during his visit. Their aim was merely to have Clark sign the protocol and accept their oversight and control.

As for the relationship between Clark and Tony, perhaps for them, the worse, the better.

Captain America had only been awake for a few months and hadn't fully adapted to this era, so his understanding and stance on the protocol weren't as clear as in the original story.

He needed to clarify the situation.

"Clark, are you planning to negotiate something for the superheroes by participating in drafting the protocol?"

"No!" Clark's answer was straightforward: "I'm just buying time."

Seeing Captain America's confused face, Clark explained with a smile, "The debate over whether superheroes need regulation is entirely a matter of perspective. From the standpoint of a superhero, I naturally don't want to be bound by a protocol. But this time…"

Captain America eagerly asked, "What about this time?"

"This protocol appeared too suddenly, purely as an opportunistic move by the government," Clark scoffed disdainfully. "Logically, the video of you accidentally harming civilians has many flaws and shouldn't serve as strong evidence."

"Moreover, the conditions for forming this protocol aren't fully met. They're just trying to take advantage of the conflict between me and Tony to gain benefits."

"After all, in this situation, both Tony and I need external support."

Regarding the so-called protocol, Clark had no intention of signing from the beginning.

Thinking of controlling me through a piece of paper? Hah!

Sign? Sign your ass!

However, Clark also knew that this protocol and the surveillance were just the beginning.

Drinking the rest of his juice in one gulp, he said, "Be careful recently, try not to go out if it's not necessary. The troubles will keep coming, one after another, leaving us no peace."

As soon as Clark finished speaking, the familiar ring of the phone sounded again. Looking at the caller ID, it was Hope calling.

"Clark, Mindy got into trouble at school."

Clark was startled and quickly responded, "Don't panic, take it slow. What happened exactly?"

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